Aya Brea pulled herself to her feet, fighting dizziness and gravity and blood loss. Her right arm, her gun hand, was useless; her jacket sleeve, and the skin beneath it, had been shredded by her near-fatal trip through a window. She was fortunate to still have the arm at all.

I won't...

Her opponent regarded Aya from her seat, hidden in the shadows. Despite Aya's best efforts, she remained unharmed, and she smiled as she leaned forward slightly to regard Aya better. "Still alive, Hunter? I admire your tenacity."

Aya's legs gave out. She dropped to her knees, barely caught herself on her good hand before she fell on her face. Sweat and blood fell from her face, splattering onto the ground.

"Nothing to say, Hunter?"

She managed to get one foot beneath her, and slowly stood, swaying. "Why?" Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Her opponent leaned back and folded her hands. "Why?" She made a sound, an amused hum. "Do you mean 'Why are we on this planet?' Or, perhaps, 'Why do bad things happen to good people?'" She sneered. "Or were you referring to something more specific?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Oh, that's what you wanted to know." She gestured dismissivly with one hand. "Mostly for the normal reasons: greed, power, infamy. The thrill I get from watching you pathetically normal humans writhe in delicious agony. You know, the usual.

"But, mostly, I do it because I want you to understand. To understand what you are, and what it means to be what you are." She studied Aya intently. "You do understand, don't you?"

Gripping her gun in her left hand, Aya uttered the only thing she could think of, the only thing that had kept her going since the battle had started. "I won't become a monster like you."

Laughter. "Silly woman, haven't you been paying attention?" Standing, her opponent stepped into the light, revealed herself fully. "I am you."

Aya smiled.






Author's Note?

What's my excuse this time? Dunno, but I think Aya Brea said it best.

"Neurons firing like trigger-happy revolutionaries!"

*giggles* I love that line.

Oh, and I suppose the sheer amount of Shoujo Kakumei Utena I've been watching, listening too, and dreaming about may have contributed in some way.

In fact, Aya reminds me in some ways of Juri-sempai. But without all of the repressed lesbianism. *forces her attention to stop wandering*

Yep. Way too much Utena.